Kofi Anan (Former Secretary-General of the United Nations) once said, “Literacy is, finally, the road to human progress and the means through which every man, woman and child can realize his or her full potential”.
So what is Literacy and why is it so important for our tamariki?
Literacy can be defined as the ability to identify, understand, interpret, create, communicate and compute using printed and written materials associated with varying contexts (1).
A big definition and rightly so! Learning experiences around literacy in early childhood can vary widely. But what can these look like? Is it all about sitting and reading books alone, with other children, with a kaiako?
Literacy Learning Outcomes in Early Childhood Education in NZ
Literacy is one of the curriculum areas of early childhood education in New Zealand. The Communication/Mana Reo strand in Te Whāriki has a set of learning outcomes for ECE services to follow.(2) The learning outcomes suggest that over time, with guidance and encouragement, children become increasingly capable of the following:
Using gesture and movement to express themselves | he kōrero ā-tinana
Understanding oral language and using it for a range of purposes | he kōrero ā-waha
Enjoying hearing stories and retelling and creating them | he kōrero paki
Recognising print symbols and concepts and using them with enjoyment, meaning and purpose | he kōrero tuhituhi
Recognising mathematical symbols and concepts and using them with enjoyment, meaning and purpose | he kōrero pāngarau
Expressing their feelings and ideas using a range of materials and modes | he kōrero auaha
Te Whare Rama's Approach - an Holistic Approach to Literacy
At Te Whare Rama Early Learning Centres we have a holistic approach to literacy - we integrate oral, verbal and written literacy alongside play-based learning to engage our young learners. We use dance and singing, telling and listening to stories, math and print symbols as well as providing various media to nurture creativity, cultivate language skill, critical thinking and social development. Children are encouraged to create their own artefacts. There are always plenty of projects to take home!
Here are some photos of our tamariki in action with a literacy lens:
Lisa
Te Whare Rama Manager
References
[1] UNESCO. (2004). The plurality of literacy and its implications for policies and programmes. UNESCO Position paper, p. 13.
[2] Ministry of Education (2017). Te Whāriki. He whāriki mātauranga mō ngā mokopuna o Aotearoa. Early Childhood Curriculum